Joe Coffey says MLW just made the most sense for GBOT.
Coffey spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard ahead of MLW‘s TV tapings in Philadelphia. The former Gallus member, now collectively known as “GBOT” with Mark Coffey and Wolfgang, explained what made MLW the right fit for the trio, who spent the past seven years in WWE.
“We got asked to appear at Battle Riot, and it just felt right. We had looked at other places and been to a few other places, but maybe we wanted to start something totally fresh and do something people didn’t expect,” Coffey explained.
“Since the start of the year, I feel as if MLW has been recruiting and assembling a really fantastic roster. It’s something I wanted to be a part of,” he continued. “MLW also has a really good history in professional wrestling. It just seemed like the right fit at the time. We thought, ‘Let’s try something totally different,’ where we pretty much have creative freedom and are appreciated for what we do.”
Joe Coffey wants to continue testing himself
Coffey noted how much talent was micromanaged in WWE, where there’s a lot more creative freedom afforded to talent in companies like MLW and TNA. In regard to MLW, he appreciates that the show has something that appeals to everyone. He also noted how MLW’s many relationships with global promotions appealed to him and wants to represent the company against the world’s best.
“As I said, it’s a lot different from WWE or NXT because a lot of the talent are micromanaged to a degree that I don’t think is a good thing, although I understand it works as well,” he pointed out. “It’s also a variety show, and I feel that’s what professional wrestling should be. There’s something for everyone; high flyers, technical wrestlers, brawlers, or anything else. They also have so many collaborations with CMLL and New Japan, which are two places I’d love to go.
“I got to wrestle in Japan earlier in my career for Zero1, which was a great experience,” Coffey said. “But representing MLW in a company like New Japan or heading to Mexico to work with CMLL would be an honor and absolutely fantastic. I think the fact that there are so many strong partnerships, and that those rosters can mix with the MLW roster, was one of the key things for me. I thought there could be a lot of fresh matchups for people to see and for me to test myself as well because I love getting in the ring and challenging myself.”
Joe Coffey has some big MLW singles matches in mind
Coffey pointed out that while GBOT is a trio, one of their biggest assets is that they are quite interchangeable. There’s plenty of opportunities for him to compete as a singles wrestler. However, there’s no bigger matchup he sees than against the MLW World Champion, Killer Kross.
“Mark and Wolfie were very much synonymous with tag team wrestling for a long time, so there’s always opportunity for me to do singles matches,” he said. “I’ve always got my eye on Kross. I think anyone should be going after the champion and what he’s doing right now is really good stuff. I keep watching him. He’s someone I’d like to get in the ring with and battle on the microphone as well as in the ring. I think that could be a lot of fun.”
Coffey named Matt Riddle as another potential singles matchup. He noted how they’ve shared the ring before, but MLW allows them the platform to tell a proper story. No matter which way he goes, Coffey said gold is always a goal in the long run.
“The Skyscrapers, Dijak and Bishop Dyer, are another great option [in the tag team division]. Why not just go for all the gold? That’s what GBOT is best known for, going after the big score.
“What a big score that would be coming from Bishop Dyer and Dijak. They are absolutely fantastic,” he said. “I spent time with them during my tenure in NXT and WWE. There are so many good combinations that can be put together right now, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
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